Astrid pushed her way through the crowd while the citizens gathered throughout the capital continued anxiously awaiting the Emperor's appearance.
As of this moment, every faction that had previously been at each other's throats had temporarily entered a ceasefire.
Even the streets themselves felt unnaturally tense, as though the entire Empire had collectively paused to hear whatever Franz Barielle Aetherion was about to say.
Which, truthfully, Astrid found strange.
According to the latest reports, outside forces had already begun entering Aetherion to support Irene's side of the conflict. Zyphran had begun moving. The Celestine Hegemony was allegedly preparing support. Even the Theocracy had sent their clergy spies.
Yet despite all of that, everything had suddenly stopped for this speech.
As though even foreign nations understood that whatever Franz declared today would determine whether Aetherion remained an Empire or a battlefield.
